SALARY RANGE:

OPEN PERIOD:

SERIES & GRADE:

POSITION INFORMATION:

DUTY LOCATIONS:

1 vacancy in the following location:Cincinnati, OH United StatesView Map

WHO MAY APPLY:

All groups of qualified individuals

JOB SUMMARY:

Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 905425

Applicant's education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected.

One (1.0) FTE Registered Nurse (RN) position is available in the Mental Health Care Line (MHCL). This position is located in the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP) within the Substance Use & Dependence Program (SUDEP). The incumbent will be directly responsible to the Nurse Manager of SUDEP and provide psychiatric nursing care to a wide variety of clients with DSM-IV diagnoses, including many patients with dual-diagnoses, complex psycho-social and behavioral issues, which requires specialized treatment plans. In addition, provide and participate in group therapy, educational groups and 1:1 patient counseling. Registered Nurses are responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. The RN is responsible for medication administration and day to day management of the safe medication program per established policies and guidelines.

WORK SCHEDULE: Administrative hours and off tours. M ust be flexible to work weekends and holidays and adjust work schedule to accommodate patient and/or program needs.

Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement.

At the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, our duty is to make sure Veterans receive the finest health care available within our resources. We are devoted to providing primary healthcare, specialized care, and mental health service to Veterans whom reside within a 50 mile radius of the Medical Center serving veterans in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. For more information, please visit our web site. http://www.cincinnati.va.gov/

Our mission: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise  "To care for him who shall have borne thebattle, and for his widow, and his orphan"  by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs mental health professionals who possess the energy, compassion, and commitment to serve those who serve our Country. Whatever the job title, every position in VA will give you a chance to make a meaningful and personal contribution to the lives of truly special and deserving people - our Veterans.

If you are transitioning from the military or a Veteran already, we invite you to explore the benefits of continuing your career at the VA. The VA is committed to hiring Veterans.

VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ .

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

U.S. Citizenship

Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.

Must pass pre-employment requirements.

Please refer to the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this posting.

English Language Proficiency required.

Graduate of an NLNAC of CCNE Accredited School of Professional Nursing.

DUTIES:

This Registered Nursein the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program within the Substance Use & Dependence Educational Program in the Mental Health Care Line provides nursing care to a wide variety of patients with DSM-IV diagnoses, including dual-diagnoses, psycho-social and behavioral issues. Incumbent provides supportive nursing care to a diversity of patients and must possess the necessary skills to carry out the most complex practical nursing care assignments. A significant number of patients also have post-traumatic-stress-disorder, which requires specialized treatment plans. This RN will be responsible for the weekly medication count and overseeing discrepancies, for suicide/pain assessments, medication education, clinical reminders and overseeing care delegated to the LPN staff, etc. Incumbent is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process when providing and/or supervising direct patient care. He/she administers medications and procedures per established policies and guidelines.

Demonstrating and maintaining full competency in the use, pre-cleaning and/or reprocessing of reusable medical equipment. Ensuring that the appropriate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and manufacturer's instructions are followed for any step in the use of RME (pre-cleaning, reprocessing, disinfection, sterilization, maintenance) in which he/she is involved.

Giving medications and treatments as prescribed.

Communicating and providing information to patients regarding preventive health care issues and how to lead a healthy life style.

Accessing and documenting patient information into a variety of computerized clinical application programs such as the computerized medical record.

Provide extensive observation to suicidal/psychotic patients in mental health as well as other nursing areas of the facility.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

According to VA Handbook 5005/27, Part II, Appendix G-6 NURSE QUALIFICATION STANDARD; All RN's must meet the following Qualifications in order to be eligible for this position.

Citizen of the United States.

Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing.

Must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Physical Standards - All applicants must meet the physical standards for the position. A physical examination prior to employment will be required.

Background Investigation - Appointment to this position is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the required background investigation.

Applicant's education and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered by a Nurse Professional Standards Board in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. Experience as a RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following four dimensions of nursing: Practice, Professional Development, Collaboration and Scientific Inquiry. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. The criteria are as follows: Practice: practice, ethics and resource utilization, Professional Development: performance, education/career development, Collaboration; collaboration, collegiality, Scientific Inquiry: quality of care, research.

Education/Experience Requirements:

Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, no experience.

Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of experience, or an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field and no experience; or a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) and no experience.

Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of experience, or an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of experience; or a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of experience, or a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no experience.

Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of experience, or ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years experience or a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years experience, or a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no experience.

Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years experience or Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and approximately 2-3 years experience.

Specialized experience preferred: One year of chemical dependency experience necessary as well as knowledge of mental illnesses.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

This announcement is not intended to cover all aspects of the duties, responsibilities, or qualifications of the position.

Incumbent will be required to pass a pre-employment physical examination.

All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a drug testing designated position are subject to random drug screen (urinalysis) for illegal drug use. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with the VA.

Background Investigation: New appointees will be subject to a background investigation to determine suitability. Applicants must not be listed on the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) and Office of Inspector General (OIG) Exclusionary List.

The list of eligible candidates resulting from this announcement may be considered for filling appropriate vacancies at the same grade level(s) as stated in this announcement that occur within ninety (90) days of the issue date of the certificate of eligibles for this vacancy.

Request for copies, return of forms, or transfer of consideration to another announcement will not be honored.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

This position will be filled on a full-time, permanent basis. Upon completing any required probationary period, the position will be permanent.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Once this job announcement closes and the application process is complete, a review of your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and to determine if you are qualified for this particular position.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities.

ALL INFORMATION WILL BE EVALUATED AT FACE VALUE - NO ASSUMPTIONS WILL BE MADE.

To apply to the announcement. The Human Resources Department nor the selecting official can help you apply for this position nor can they verify that you have correctly completed / submitted all of the required documents. All of the requirements, instructions, and information is listed in this announcement.

BENEFITS:

Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, thrift savings plan, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. In addition to traditional "dollars and cents" benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help balance work and life. For more information please visit us at http://www.va.gov/Jobs/Job_Benefits/benefits.asp.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual Leave (Vacation): Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4,6, or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal Employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Management retains the right to select from any appropriate recruitment methods, such as reassignment, promotion, appointment, transfer, reemployment, reinstatement, or demotion to fill this vacancy. The decision as to which source or sources to use (singularly, in any sequence, or concurrently in any combination) will be made by management.

HOW TO APPLY:

PLEASE READ THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY TO ENSURE THAT ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ARE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE. FAILURE TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF CONSIDERATION.

NOTE: Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position requires the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES WILL BE RATED INELIGIBLE.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

You may upload the completed forms to your USAJOBS or Application Manager account if you apply online. Then you can use the uploaded forms again and again when applying for future vacancies. Please see this guide ( http://www.va.gov/OHRM/joblistings/uploading-and-using-documents-online.doc ) for more information on uploading and re-using the form in your applications. Other required forms and documents can also be saved in your account and used the same way.

Applicants are urged to apply online; this process is much easier and faster.

Note: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application, just reapply through your account in USAJOBS. Check your account ( https://my.usajobs.gov/Login.aspx ) to see the status of your application after applying, including any messages that may have been sent to you.

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Fax the completed 1203FX form along with all supporting documents to (478)757-3144. Your 1203FX form must be placed on top of all materials being faxed and will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

Keep a copy of your fax receipt in case verification is needed.

To fax supporting documents if you are unable to upload:

Complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID # 905425. You must use this fax cover sheet in order for your documents to be matched with your online application.

Fax your documents to (478)757-3144.

You may upload completed forms to your USAJOBS account if you apply online. You can then use the uploaded forms when applying for future vacancies. For help uploading documents or for other general questions, please see the HELP/FAQ's link at the bottom of the USAJOBS webpage

OF 306 - Declaration for Federal Employment (Available at http://www4.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/OF306.pdf ). This is a required form and must be submitted with your application. Please be sure to sign the forms (REQUIRED).

Questionnaire - If you were unable to click on the apply online button at the beginning of this announcement and answer the questions on-line - then you will need to print off the Questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire and answer them using the instructions that can be found under the HOW TO APPLY section of this announcement.

These forms are required if the situation applies specifically to the applicant:

If prior military service, be sure to include all copies of your DD Forms 214 (required). Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must also complete and submit an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf ).

Evidence of your eligibility to apply for this vacancy (Use this checklist).

Transcripts- you can provide either a copy of your transcripts or list this information on your application. **Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.

If currently employed in the Cincinnati, OH VA system, you must include your latest SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action. (required to be considered an internal applicant). You must provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action." The SF-50 must indicate proof of status (for example, you were a career or a career-conditional employee) and should identify your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You will need to access your electronic e-opf to get your most current SF-50.

CURRENT VA EMPLOYEES PLEASE NOTE: The selecting official for this position is not allowed access to your electronic OPF which is why it is required for you to submit a thorough and complete resume to include all of your relevant work information (i.e., starting and ending dates of employment, hours worked, duties, etc.) The resume you provide through this application process is forwarded to the selecting official. It is highly recommended that you use the resume builder in USAJOBS as it contains all of the information we need to determine whether or not you are qualified for this position. Failure to provide a resume and all the documents requested in the announcement may render you not qualified for the position you are applying for.

Veteran's Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on their application or resume AND on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided. Veterans must also provide a legible copy of DD FORM 214 and or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must complete and SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference and provide required proof as stated on form. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce DD Form 214 or other proof prior to appointment to document entitlement to preference. For more information on Veteran's Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx.

Applicants CANNOT / WILL NOT be contacted for any of the required documents listed above.

Applicants who submit INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES will receive a rating of INELIGIBLE.

Requests for reconsideration will not be considered.

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, erroneous fax transmissions, etc.

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

If you call the Human Resources Department or the selecting department to check on the status of your application or to ask if someone can verify that all of the required documents were filled out correctly and submitted/received - you will be referred back to the job announcement or to the application managerhttps://applicationmanager.gov/. It is the applicant's responsibility to read the announcement carefully & to apply for the position.

Once the Human Resources department knows any details of this announcement, you will receive a notice via the e-mail address that you provided. Once the Human Resources Department knows the status of this vacancy, you will know!

After you Submit Your Application...

After the human resources department receives your complete application package (including any required documents), your qualifications will be reviewed by a Human Resources Specialist to determine if you meet the basic requirements of the position. You will be notified by e-mail when this decision is made.

What happens when your application is referred?

If you submitted a complete application package and you meet all of the basic requirements of this position, your application package will be referred to the selecting official in the Mental Health Care Line. Once the Selecting Official in Mental Health (which is not the Human Resources Department) looks over all of the applications, he/she will then decide if they would like to contact you for an interview. The interview will be arranged and coordinated by the Selecting Official in Mental Health. You will be notified by e-mail if your name is referred to the selecting official in Mental Health.

After the interviewing process is Complete...

Once the Selecting Official in Mental Health decides on a candidate for the position, they will forward the certificate of eligible's back to the Human Resources Department. All candidates will once again be notified of the outcome via the e-mail address provided.

What does the pre-appointment process entail for the applicant that is selected for this position?At this point a Human Resources Specialist will call the applicant that was selected by Mental Health to extend to them a tentative job offer. **If you are selected for this position a number of pre-employment requirements must be met before a final commitment of employment can be made. The more active you are in this process, the quicker you can be brought on board. There are a number of steps in the pre-employment process. Failure to complete the pre-employment process within three (3) calendar days will result in withdrawal of the tentative employment offer. Once the selected applicant completes all requirements & all requirements have been verified, you will be contacted by a Human Resources Specialist to discuss an official start date and commitment package.